An Exercise in Trust
by nhsweetcherry
Summary: A moment between brothers during a rescue. One-shot.


_I've had bits of this story hanging around for a long time; I figured it was finally time to finish the silly thing and get it off my plate! It was kind of a challenging one to write for some reason, even though it's so short. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it._

 _I do not own the Thunderbirds, and I am making no profit from this story._

Gordon paused to rest, treading water as he adjusted his grip on Scott's limp figure. As he waited, he glanced around, and couldn't help but sigh when there was still no sign of Thunderbird Two coming to the rescue. It had been fifteen minutes since a panicked passenger aboard a stranded whale watching boat had neatly kayoed Scott and sent him tumbling overboard into the stormy Atlantic. Scott had barely hit the water before Gordon was diving after him. Gordon didn't have any trouble getting to Scott, but he had found that he couldn't keep them near the boat – a strong current quickly pulled them away from the rescue scene.

The whale watching boat had been doing a sunset cruise twenty-five miles out on the Atlantic when it experienced engine trouble during a light summer squall. The storm had suddenly turned very nasty, and the engine refused to start. With fifty passengers aboard, and the boat steadily being swept toward the rocky Maine coast, the crew had taken to the airwaves to call for help. The Thunderbirds had been on their way back to base after another rescue, but hadn't hesitated to stop and help, even though John had informed them from Thunderbird Five that the Coast Guard was also on its way.

A half hour later, Scott and Gordon had most of the passengers loaded onto the Coast Guard vessel. It was a tricky process, but it helped to have Thunderbird Two hovering nearby, shining her massive spotlights on the two boats. Scott had reluctantly sent Thunderbird One home with Alan; the ship had been pelted with debris from an explosion at their previous rescue, and Scott thought that she had been handling a bit sluggishly ever since. Torn between helping at the scene of the damaged whale watching boat and entrusting his beloved craft to his youngest brother, he had eventually given in to what he knew to be right.

It had been going smoothly until one of the final passengers, a large, belligerent man, had panicked and broken from his place in line. Scott had moved to intercept him, but for once his reflexes weren't fast enough, and he got a fist in the face for his efforts. Gordon had come up from below deck just in time to see Scott toppling overboard; with a single bound, Gordon was on the rail and then diving after him.

There had been a flurry of shouts – both from the boats and from Gordon's wrist communicator – and a crazy whirl of lights as Two tried to keep some spotlights on the unruly passenger who was now wrestling with several Coast Guard men, but also search the waves for Scott. Gordon got hold of Scott within seconds, grabbing him from behind and letting Scott's head tip back on his shoulder.

"Got him," he had spluttered, his fingers checking his brother's pulse. "He's out cold, but I think he's okay!"

One spotlight trailed after them as the current began to pull them away.

"I'm coming to pick you up," Virgil said.

Gordon was tempted to agree, but knew what Scott would want them to do. "I think you should finish the rescue first," he said. "Scott's breathing fine, and we'll be okay in the water for a couple minutes. They really need your lights over there."

Virgil had growled in frustration, but replied, "Fine. Just let me know if his condition changes – at all!"

"FAB," Gordon said.

So Gordon, with Scott in tow, had been swept gradually away from the lights and noise of the rescue operation. Gordon had to stay alert to keep Scott's face out of the water in the heavy waves. Thankfully, the sea was beginning to calm down and the clouds were parting to reveal a smattering of stars.

One glance up at the stars was all Gordon needed to get his bearings – he might not be anywhere near as interested in the stars as certain brothers, but he occasionally found them useful for his purposes. He began swimming toward the east. He wasn't sure how far off shore they were at this point, but he knew that he would much rather stay out on the open ocean than risk getting washed up on Maine's rough, rocky coast.

He'd been swimming a few minutes when Scott began to stir. Gordon immediately went back to treading water, knowing that he'd need all his energy to keep Scott calm – an awake Scott was a Scott in full command, and Gordon didn't know how his oldest brother would react to discovering that he was adrift in the Atlantic.

"Hey," Scott mumbled. "What's going on? Where are we? Ouch, my head…" He began moving his arms and legs around as he woke up more.

"Easy, Scott – I've got you," Gordon said. "We're okay, just relax and let me do all the work. Virgil's gonna pick us up any time now."

Despite Gordon's reassuring tone, Scott's movements grew stronger, and his whole body tensed, like a spring about to uncoil.

Gordon grimaced – this was what he had been afraid of. Wrapping his arms more firmly around his oldest brother, he pleaded, "C'mon, Scott, just trust me – _please!_ " He held his breath, bracing himself for the torrent of demanding questions and possibly even a physical struggle, depending on Scott's level of confusion. He was totally surprised then, when Scott, after a long moment's pause, let out a sigh and relaxed completely in Gordon's grip.

"Okay, Gordon," he said. "Okay."

That was it – no fight, no argument, no attempt to control the situation. For a split second, Gordon felt sheer panic – just how badly was Scott hurt?

As he realized the truth of the matter, though, Gordon found himself beginning to smile. Scott wasn't confused. Just the opposite – he had listened to Gordon's request, and was doing exactly what Gordon had asked him to: he was trusting him.

"Thanks, Scotty," he murmured.

Hearing a familiar roaring sound in the distance, he grinned. "Here comes Virg," he told Scott. The lights were dancing over the water in their direction, and they could vaguely see Two silhouetted against the stars.

"Hmm," Scott murmured. "I wouldn't have minded waiting a little longer – the motion of the waves is kind of relaxing, isn't it?"

For the second time, Gordon was surprised – Scott? He found the waves _relaxing_? Huh…you learn something new every day!

Virgil lowered the rescue platform, and Scott and Gordon slid aboard, tired and ready to head home.

Gordon hung back, still in a thoughtful mood, as Virgil rushed down from the bridge to check on Scott. He felt oddly humbled by his interaction with his oldest brother. While he _knew_ that Scott trusted him – it was a matter of necessity to be able to count on one another in their job – it was another thing to see it demonstrated so vividly. When he really stopped to think about it, Gordon found himself awe-inspired at how willingly he and his brothers placed their lives in each others' hands, time and time again. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he'd relied on Scott in a life or death situation, but it wasn't often that their roles were reversed.

"You okay, Gords?"

Scott's voice broke into his thoughts, and he looked up to see that Virgil had left them. Scott was sprawled in a chair, his face tired but relaxed.

Gordon grinned and moved to sit next to Scott. "Yeah, I'm great," he said firmly.

As Two accelerated, a sudden thought struck him. "I just had an idea for your birthday present," he said smugly.

Scott's eyebrows rose. "Oh, yeah? What?"

"Well, I can't tell you, can I?" Gordon retorted. A mischievous smile played over his face. So big brother liked the motion of the waves, did he? Well, then he'd _love_ having a water bed!


End file.
